NATO concluded a two-day summit in Ankara, Turkiye, on Wednesday afternoon, with members discussing defense budgets and aid to Ukraine, but there was simultaneous talk of unity and discord, underscoring the uncertain future of the alliance that has been a cornerstone of the Western security architecture for more than 75 years.
Although the allies appear to agree on some key issues, US President Donald Trump used the summit to criticize NATO allies, including Spain, over defense spending and imposed a trade embargo on Spain.
Despite this, President Trump called the summit “very successful.”
“Actually, it was amazing,” he told reporters. “The togetherness in that room was incredible, so much love and it felt pretty wild.”
Key developments at the summit include: Some show agreement, others reveal rifts.
Leaders agree to increase defense spending and aid to Ukraine
In their leaders’ declaration, NATO leaders reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment” to the mutual assistance clause enshrined in Article 5 of the Treaty of Alliance.
In the early days, that promise was a given, and its mention in the leaders’ declaration was a formal nod to the founding documents of the alliance. But President Trump has repeatedly questioned the value of the alliance, accusing NATO members of not being “there” when the United States needs them, including during this year’s war with Iran, and leaving open the possibility that the United States won’t come to the ally’s defense if it comes under attack.
Against this backdrop, this leaders’ declaration is a reassuring promise from the United States, the world’s largest and most powerful military.
Meanwhile, European leaders showed off soaring defense spending at the summit, trying to convince Trump that they were making good on promises to increase spending and take greater responsibility for their own national security.
According to NATO’s declaration, its commitments include “more than $50 billion in new procurement.”
President Trump has long argued that Europe should spend more on defense, and his administration is pushing Europeans to take primary responsibility for the continent’s traditional defense.
However, NATO data shows that only five of the 32 member states are expected to meet the alliance’s goal of spending 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on core defense in 2026.
At the summit, 32 NATO heads of state also pledged 70 billion euros ($80 billion) in aid to Ukraine.
“NATO members took this opportunity to show solidarity over Ukraine. They rallied around the idea that Ukraine is successfully holding back Russia’s creeping advances,” Jolyon Howarth, emeritus professor of European politics at the University of Bath, told Al Jazeera.
“However, there is little consensus within Europe or across the Atlantic on how to proceed with Ukraine, and that will remain the case even if President Trump ultimately leaves the White House.”
President Trump cuts off trade with Spain, threatens Greenland
President Trump spoke about “love” at the venue, but his love for Spain was not lost as he issued an embargo on Wednesday. He asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “suspend all trade, including visits” with the country amid tensions over defense spending.
The U.S. Treasury, Commerce Department and U.S. Trade Representative will work to present President Trump with “a menu of Spanish products that could be subject to an embargo in the coming days,” a U.S. official told Reuters. Comments suggest the trade ban may be partial.
Also on Wednesday, President Trump told reporters: “I’m not happy with NATO because of what they did with Greenland. I’m also not happy with NATO because of the fact that they didn’t want to support us against Iran, which is the biggest sponsor of terrorism.”
President Trump’s escalating attacks on Spain, combined with renewed threats to seize the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, are exposing potential rifts in NATO’s cohesion.
“NATO has always struggled with unification issues. Member states have different interests due to history and geography,” Howarth said. “Spain and Denmark are now targets of President Trump for a variety of reasons. This is a serious problem for the unity of the alliance.”
President Trump lifts sanctions on Turkiye
Meanwhile, President Trump on Tuesday lifted sanctions on Turkiye and said he would soon decide to resume sales of F-35 fighter jets.
The statement was made as President Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of a summit in Ankara.
The U.S. removed Turkiye from its F-35 program after Turkey acquired Russia’s S-400 air defense system in 2019, prompting the shift. The United States also imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
“We’re going to lift sanctions,” President Trump told reporters.
President Trump, sitting next to President Erdoğan, said he would soon decide to sell the F-35 to Turkiye.
“That’s a decision we’ll make…This is a great airplane, the best airplane ever, and it’s certainly something we’ll consider,” Trump said.
The meeting with Erdogan comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is increasing pressure on the United States not to resume F-35 sales to Turkiye.
In addition to the Turkje development, President Trump has also approved the sale of the Tomahawk cruise missile to Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday, despite doubts that the missile’s planned deployment will go ahead.
“In the end, the summit was considered a success simply because Trump didn’t cause much disruption. This shows how low the bar is set as long as Trump is in the White House,” Sven Biscop, director of the Brussels-based think tank Egmont Institute, told Al Jazeera.
UK-Dutch Maritime Partnership
Britain says its and Dutch militaries will be equipped with new amphibious transport ships under a £2.4 billion ($3.2 billion) maritime partnership.
“This partnership will strengthen NATO by combining British industrial expertise with Dutch design and navigation experience to provide a first-class platform for our elite amphibious force,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who attended the NATO summit, said in a statement on Tuesday.
How united is NATO as a whole?
“Above all, the ‘unity’ between the United States and Europe has always depended heavily on Europeans believing and trusting that the United States will stand by them in times of existential crisis,” Howarth said.
He added that President Trump “deliberately destroyed” this trust.
“No one can believe that no matter what he says at any given time, he won’t change his mind afterwards. That unpredictability further undermines unity. The challenge now for Europeans is to continue to unite in their quest for autonomy from the United States through and through NATO.”
Biskop said the summit’s positive conclusion suggests that Europe and Canada could play a stronger role in the future alliance.
“If European countries act on this basis and build military autonomy, a rebalanced NATO based on two pillars (one US and one European country, including Turkiye and Canada) could survive for a long time.”
